Hellgate & Beyond
Hellgate
Hellgate is the access point linking the Under to the hellscape below; home to legions of demons and nightmarish horrors. Hellgate remains closed so long as war rages on the plane, satisfying its hellish inhabitants with fresh souls to terrorize. There exist ways to force it open from the outside, but such arcane mysteries of the deep are only revealed upon approaching the gate. Seeking an audience with a host of demons, one might approach the gate with a sacrifice, whispering vile incantations. Most legends of terrifying warlords and powerful necromancers begin (and end) with a passage into the hellscape. One might approach Hellgate on an honorable quest to rescue a loved one, offering nothing more than a desperate, naive heart. Anxious to devour any soul, Hellgate may open briefly allowing anyone daring, and foolish, enough to enter. Even if successful in one’s quest, finding an escape is a different quest entirely, and entering into the mouth of hell may indeed turn out to be sealing one’s own doom. After consumption, the mouth of damnation is greedy and gluttonous.
Hellgate is located in the Under, below the devastating volcanic Mt. Naul. Near the volcano, in the outskirts of the ruined kingdom of Errat exists a shrine to the god of death, and legends tell of a winding staircase inside which descends all the way down to the edge of the abyssal sea, whence exists the entrance to Hellgate's High-wire. The staircase is said to be 100,000 steps, and any who dare descend tend to choose parachuting their way down. Choosing to descend the staircase has only ever resulted in exhaustion at some point which has resulted in a lengthy tumble down the staircase. No one has ever survived to tell the tale, but the bone mounds at the bottom tell enough.
The Eye of Ganeath
Named after the goddess of hell, The Eye is a massive multilayered tower. It serves as a beacon, inviting desperate souls towards it, while also providing Ganeath and Ghaen with surveillance of the Under. The Maw is insatiable, and the war torn plane of Pixelos provides The Under with a plethora of travelers who are lost, both physically and spiritually. By ushering these pitiful beings into the traps of hell, the menacing structure uses their fear, despair and desperation, tormenting their minds and coaxing them into making deals with the Maw. The looming spire protrudes through the crust of the Overlands on the Western Peninsula, near the ruined kingdom of Errat, providing the hellscape with surveillance of the Overlands as well.
The Abyssal Sea
Though more of a lake, The Abyssal Sea is home to a myriad of unimaginable creatures. It is hard to fathom how a creature could survive in the molten rock, but this is just one of the many mysteries of Pixelos. This fiery lake is the source of "liquid death" which spews from Mt. Naul when the planet calls for a cataclysm.
Hellgate's High-wire
The trek across Hellgate's High-wire is said to take a full day of nonstop walking but there are multiple checkpoints along the way. These are however not to be mistaken as a kindness offered by the gods of hell. They are simply necessary to assist adventurers, and fools, along the way to the Hellgate. An offering dying before reaching the gate, or falling into the abyss, is a waste (though it is a fate preferable to what lies behind the gate.) Hellgate is manned by a horde of demonic forces, most of whom serve their post in hopes of ascending the ranks of depravity and being welcomed into the armies of the damned. Throughout the histories these sentinels have doubled as a labor force, tasked with building and maintaining these checkpoints. Hellgate has remained ominously open since activity has resumed in Mt. Naul and the nearby ruins of Errat. Many speculate that an onslaught of hellish minions is assembling and is preparing to unleash war on the Overlands.
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